Jaguar Confirms Electric XJ but Won't Become an All-EV Brand
Jaguar Land Rover's Castle Bromwich plant in the U.K. will be retooled to assemble hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric cars for the first time.
The electric XJ is confirmed, and "electrified options for all new Jaguar and Land Rover models" will be available starting in 2020.
Plans for other U.K. plants at Solihull (most Land Rover models and Jaguar SUVs) and Halewood (Discovery Sport and Evoque) have not been announced.
Despite its statement that "the future of mobility is electric," Jaguar is not dropping fossil fuels entirely to become an all-electric car brand. According to a statement on Friday, the British automaker is retooling its Castle Bromwich plant for its next-gen platform that can accommodate EVs, starting with its flagship XJ sedan.
There were reports last fall that Jaguar could be an "EV-only brand within the next decade," but the officially announced plan is to offer electric powertrains as a choice for all new Jaguar and Land Rover models starting in 2020. By "new," this is likely to mean "all new," as will be the case for the upcoming XJ. Castle Bromwich, which assembles the XE, XF, XJ and F-type, is prepping for the Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA) that will underpin every Jaguar Land Rover by 2025. At this time, 48-volt hybrids in either gasoline or diesel will be the company's baseline. The MLA is a rear-wheel-drive, aluminum-intensive platform that can accommodate hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery-electric powertrains.
While diesel engines face intense government scrutiny in the European Union, they make up 87 percent of JLR's sales across the continent. Worldwide, according to an investor presentation from last summer, JLR expects that plug-in hybrids and EVs will only make up 5 percent of all sales in the "near term" future, while gasoline engines with or without electric assist will comprise 60 percent.
JLR said that while its forthcoming U.K. battery plant will build up to 150,000 batteries per year, "increased consumer takeup remains a challenge." The company is calling for automakers, suppliers, and the U.K. government to team up on a "gigascale" plant to rival Tesla's Nevada Gigafactory. JLR has already paired with BMW to share the development costs of electric powertrains.
Just a fraction of Jaguar Land Rover models will flip the electric switch next year. The 2020 Range Rover, 2019 Range Rover Sport, and 2019 Jaguar I-Pace are the only electrified models in the lineup. While JLR's new 3.0-liter turbo inline-six and its accompanying 48-volt hardware, including a belt-driven motor-generator and 200-watt lithium-ion battery, fit easily in those larger SUVs, it's unlikely that smaller vehicles including a refreshed XF and a facelifted F-type will accommodate them unless the company pairs this hybrid setup with its smaller 2.0-liter four-cylinder. So far, this engine is hooked up as a plug-in hybrid in the two Range Rover models which feature a battery pack with 65 times the capacity of the hybrids. Stuffing that into an Evoque or a Discovery Sport may be tougher, but not impossible.
The XJ, as the starting point for the MLA platform, is likely to offer traditional gasoline and diesel engine options after its debut next year.
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